Impact of Pharmacist Interventions on the Treatment of Hepatitis C Patients at a Veterans Affairs Healthcare Facility

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the impact of pharmacy interventions and interdisciplinary care on the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) within the outpatient liver clinic at VA Connecticut Healthcare System (VA CT). Methods: This project consisted of a retrospective analysis of patient data conducted from 1/1/2014-8/1/2016 within the outpatient liver clinic at VA CT. The following information was collected and analyzed for patients referred to the clinic through the initial consult notes within the VA's Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS): HCV genotype, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status, cirrhosis status, treatment history, adherence pattern per refill histories and appointment attendance, initially requested therapy, pharmacist approved therapy, drug-drug interactions (DDIs) identified by a pharmacist, and sustained viral response at 12 weeks (SVR12). Patients excluded from the above data collection included those that were not chosen to begin treatment after referral to the clinic due to issues such as significant DDIs, history of non-adherence, etc. After data collection, pharmacist recommendations were quantified over the study population and compared to the primary endpoint of SVR12 status. All data was analyzed and presented as percentages in this frequency analysis, requiring no formal statistical analysis software. Results: After comparing the initially requested regimens to those prescribed, 20% of the total 510 regimens were adjusted by a pharmacist. Changes were made for various reasons, including guideline changes, resulting labs (i.e. hemoglobin, platelets, etc.), side effects, and adherence. Approximately 73% of patients had at least one drug interaction identified. Of these identified, 31% of the interacting medications were adjusted by the provider. Finally, SVR12 status through 3/2016 was achieved in 94% of the total patient population, excluding those who did not initiate or complete therapy. Conclusion: This study concludes that the pharmacists involved in patient care within the outpatient liver clinic at VA CT have been a valuable asset to patient care and should continue to provide pharmacy services in a provider role to patients.